Nazareth Revisited
I've been away for several days because the Internet access in Nazareth was not cooperating.
To pick up where we left off, on Sunday, we went to St. Paul's Anglican Church in Shefar'Am, a town just outside of Nazareth. Fr. Fuad is the rector there. He not only was the priest, he was the organist, acolyte, altar guild, and he spoke in perfect English as well as Arabic. It was awesome and terrifying. (No, I will not be learning Arabic or the organ anytime soon!) He and his congregation were gracious hosts. We sang "Stand up, stand up for Jesus" "Alleluia, sign for Jesus" and 2 other hymns I can't remember now - our group in English and the congregation in Arabic. It was amazing. Bishop George preached an amazing sermon (that Fr. Fuad instantly translated) on how much God loves us that we are His "pre-occcupation" in a world that is so "occupied" with other things. In a country where the word "occupied"has such powerful, emotional connotation, it was a powerful way to reframe it.
After another wonderful lunch (many of us thought it was the best yet!), we were off to the Roman city of Sepphoris. There we toured the ruins of an amphitheater and learned that Joseph was not only a carpenter, but a master craftsman - the Greek term is technon. It has been badly translated in the Gospels. The real revelation is, however, that such a skill means that Joseph was not poor. He would have been considered "middle class." Joseph probably worked at Sepphoris (probably a 2 hour walk from Nazareth - which is nothing) and made a good living. And more than likely, Jesus learned the trade from Joseph, as well as what it meant to be a good, just (as he is called in the Gospels) man.
On Monday we got up very early (again!) to head over to the Jordan River to renew our Baptismal Covenant. It was not where Jesus was baptized, because that site is in a military zone, but it was still a special moment. We then headed over to Capernaum, where the church remembers Peter's house to be, as well as a 1st century synagogue. Because of our efforts to get there early, we were the only ones there for 20 minutes! It was wonderful to have the space and John Peterson's lecture to ourselves for that length of time - almost unheard of. We did learn the difference between Temple and synagogue theology. Jesus grew up in the synagogue that worked out problems and questions in a conversation with each other, until a way forward was agreed upon. In the Temple, what the Law (or how the High Priest interpreted the Law) was the only way to do things. Two very different systems, which is reflected in Jesus' ministry, and why he was such a threat to the hierarchy in Jerusalem.
From there we took a short boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where we read the Gospel lesson of Jesus walking on water (Matt 14:22-33). Incredible.
After lunch of fried fish (not my favorite, but the fish is knows as "St. Peter's fish), we headed over to Tabgha, a beautiful church where we remember Jesus cooking breakfast for the disciples after the Resurrection. It is on the mosaic floor of this church where the earliest depiction of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes is shown, however there are only 4 loaves in the basket as we are to understand that the person looking at it is the 5th loaf!
From there we went to the Primacy of Peter - a church that remembers that Jesus told Peter, "upon this Rock I will build my church." There is a large rock incorporated into the church, but that statement took place in Ceaserea Phillipi, but because of all the other places to see in that area, it was another stop for the pilgrims (like us) to visit. And we got to dip our toes into the Sea of Galilee.
Our (almost) final stop of the day was the Mt. of Beatitudes, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee, where the church remembers the Sermon on the Mount. It was humbling to think about what it means to be "poor in spirit" or "meek" at that place. There was an optional walk down the mount that I choose not to do (heat of the day, headache). I was told I didn't miss much.
Just when I thought we were done for the day, back at the convent in Nazareth, our guide, John, took us down to an archaeological find UNDER the convent! The Sisters of Nazareth started their ministry in Nazareth in 1855, and not long after they purchased land right up the street from the Basilica of the Annunciation, workmen found what they know know to be ruins from an ancient church with the remains of a bishop. Since bishops are not buried just anywhere, it begs the question, "Why was this site so important?" They also found a Roman style dwelling AND a rolling stone tomb practically UNDER the house. When the sister bought the property, the then owner said that it was the place of the "Just", but he didn't know what that meant and they thought he was just trying to raise the price of the land. They know realize that that place could very well be Joseph's house, where he, Mary and Jesus lived - amazing. The significance of the rolling stone tomb is that it is something Joseph could have made as a technon AND he would have had the resources (wealth) to have one. There is much more to say about rolling stone tombs, but you'll have to wait for that.
It is getting late and we have another early day tomorrow, so I'll continue later with our adventures at Mt. Tabor and the Dead Sea then.
God's blessing and prayers for peace from Jerusalem.
To pick up where we left off, on Sunday, we went to St. Paul's Anglican Church in Shefar'Am, a town just outside of Nazareth. Fr. Fuad is the rector there. He not only was the priest, he was the organist, acolyte, altar guild, and he spoke in perfect English as well as Arabic. It was awesome and terrifying. (No, I will not be learning Arabic or the organ anytime soon!) He and his congregation were gracious hosts. We sang "Stand up, stand up for Jesus" "Alleluia, sign for Jesus" and 2 other hymns I can't remember now - our group in English and the congregation in Arabic. It was amazing. Bishop George preached an amazing sermon (that Fr. Fuad instantly translated) on how much God loves us that we are His "pre-occcupation" in a world that is so "occupied" with other things. In a country where the word "occupied"has such powerful, emotional connotation, it was a powerful way to reframe it.
After another wonderful lunch (many of us thought it was the best yet!), we were off to the Roman city of Sepphoris. There we toured the ruins of an amphitheater and learned that Joseph was not only a carpenter, but a master craftsman - the Greek term is technon. It has been badly translated in the Gospels. The real revelation is, however, that such a skill means that Joseph was not poor. He would have been considered "middle class." Joseph probably worked at Sepphoris (probably a 2 hour walk from Nazareth - which is nothing) and made a good living. And more than likely, Jesus learned the trade from Joseph, as well as what it meant to be a good, just (as he is called in the Gospels) man.
On Monday we got up very early (again!) to head over to the Jordan River to renew our Baptismal Covenant. It was not where Jesus was baptized, because that site is in a military zone, but it was still a special moment. We then headed over to Capernaum, where the church remembers Peter's house to be, as well as a 1st century synagogue. Because of our efforts to get there early, we were the only ones there for 20 minutes! It was wonderful to have the space and John Peterson's lecture to ourselves for that length of time - almost unheard of. We did learn the difference between Temple and synagogue theology. Jesus grew up in the synagogue that worked out problems and questions in a conversation with each other, until a way forward was agreed upon. In the Temple, what the Law (or how the High Priest interpreted the Law) was the only way to do things. Two very different systems, which is reflected in Jesus' ministry, and why he was such a threat to the hierarchy in Jerusalem.
From there we took a short boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where we read the Gospel lesson of Jesus walking on water (Matt 14:22-33). Incredible.
After lunch of fried fish (not my favorite, but the fish is knows as "St. Peter's fish), we headed over to Tabgha, a beautiful church where we remember Jesus cooking breakfast for the disciples after the Resurrection. It is on the mosaic floor of this church where the earliest depiction of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes is shown, however there are only 4 loaves in the basket as we are to understand that the person looking at it is the 5th loaf!
From there we went to the Primacy of Peter - a church that remembers that Jesus told Peter, "upon this Rock I will build my church." There is a large rock incorporated into the church, but that statement took place in Ceaserea Phillipi, but because of all the other places to see in that area, it was another stop for the pilgrims (like us) to visit. And we got to dip our toes into the Sea of Galilee.
Our (almost) final stop of the day was the Mt. of Beatitudes, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee, where the church remembers the Sermon on the Mount. It was humbling to think about what it means to be "poor in spirit" or "meek" at that place. There was an optional walk down the mount that I choose not to do (heat of the day, headache). I was told I didn't miss much.
Just when I thought we were done for the day, back at the convent in Nazareth, our guide, John, took us down to an archaeological find UNDER the convent! The Sisters of Nazareth started their ministry in Nazareth in 1855, and not long after they purchased land right up the street from the Basilica of the Annunciation, workmen found what they know know to be ruins from an ancient church with the remains of a bishop. Since bishops are not buried just anywhere, it begs the question, "Why was this site so important?" They also found a Roman style dwelling AND a rolling stone tomb practically UNDER the house. When the sister bought the property, the then owner said that it was the place of the "Just", but he didn't know what that meant and they thought he was just trying to raise the price of the land. They know realize that that place could very well be Joseph's house, where he, Mary and Jesus lived - amazing. The significance of the rolling stone tomb is that it is something Joseph could have made as a technon AND he would have had the resources (wealth) to have one. There is much more to say about rolling stone tombs, but you'll have to wait for that.
It is getting late and we have another early day tomorrow, so I'll continue later with our adventures at Mt. Tabor and the Dead Sea then.
God's blessing and prayers for peace from Jerusalem.
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